Pneumatic pump construction and method for making the same or the like

ABSTRACT

A pneumatic pump construction having an outer peripheral means of a flexible diaphragm interconnected to either an inlet housing or an outlet housing and having an inner peripheral means thereof interconnected to the other of the housings whereby the diaphragm interconnects the housings together to define a pumping chamber therebetween and permits relative movement of said housings to change the volume of said chamber for a pumping action of the pump construction, one of the housings comprising two parts having the inner peripheral means of the diaphragm stacked therebetween and being ultrasonically welded together to secure the inner peripheral means to the diaphragm thereto. A drive member is snap-fitted to one of the housings to provide driving motion of that one housing relative to the other housing for the pumping action.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,71 1,226

Kreuter 1 Jan. 16, 1973 54 PNEUMATIC PUMP CONSTRUCTION 3,438,824 4/1969 Balamuth ..156/73 N THO F R M KIN THE 3,468,731 9/1969 Obeda ..228/l SAME OR THE LIKE 3,068,494 12/1962 Pinkwater ..417/480 [75] Inventor: Kenneth G. Kreuter, Goshen, Ind.

[73] Assignee: Robertshaw Controls Company,

Richmond, Va.

[22] Filed: Feb. 25, 1971 [21] App1.No.: 119,012

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 805,645, March 10, 1969,

abandoned.

[52] US. Cl ..4l7/480, 156/73 [51] Int. Cl ..F04b 43/04 [58] Field of Search ..92/99; 417/480 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,321,159 11/1919 Stommel ..l03/l51 2,463,458 3/1949 Freyn ..230/171 2,702,147 2/1955 Brown... ..l03/148 3,094,074 6/1963 Tuckey ..103/l48 3,212,446 10/1965 Golden et ....l03/l5 K X 3,320,807 5/1967 Taylor et a1. ..156/73 Primary Examiner-William L. Freeh Attorney-Auzville Jackson, Jr., Robert L. Marben and Candor, Candor & Tassone [57 ABSTRACT A pneumatic pump construction having an outer peripheral means of a flexible diaphragm interconnected to either an inlet housing or an outlet housing and having an inner peripheral means thereof interconnected to the other of the housings whereby the diaphragm interconnects the housings together to define a pumping chamber therebetween and permits relative movement of said housings to change the volume of said chamber for a pumping action of the pump construction, one of the housings comprising two parts having the inner peripheral means of the diaphragm stacked therebetween and being ultrasonically welded together to secure the inner peripheral means to the diaphragm thereto. A drive member is snap-fitted to one of the housings to provide driving motion of that one housing relative to the other housing for the pumping action.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJAN 16 I975 3.71 1. 226

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INVENTOR. KENNETH G. KREUTER HIS ATTORNEYS PNEUMATIC PUMP CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME OR THE LIKE This application is a continuation application of Ser. No. 805,645 filed Mar. 10, 1969, now abandoned.

This invention relates to an improved pneumatic pump construction for creating either a vacuum source or a pressure source and to a method of making such a pump construction or the like.

It is well known from the U.S. Fat. to Beck et al., No. 3,341,115, that a pneumatic pump construction can be provided by interconnecting an outer periphery of a flexible diaphragm to either an inlet housing or an outlet housing and interconnecting the inner periphery thereof to the other of said housings to define a pumping chamber therebetween and to permit relative movement of one of the housings relative to the other of the housings to change the volume of the chamber for a pumping action of the construction.

It is a feature of this invention to provide an improved means for interconnecting the inner periphery of the flexible diaphragm to its respective housing in a simple and effective manner which requires no complicated fastening means or structure.

Another feature of this invention is to provide an improved means for interconnecting a drive member to the driven housing of the pump construction in a simple and economical manner which also requires no complicated fastening means or structure.

In particular, one embodiment of this invention provides a pump construction wherein the housing that is interconnected to the inner periphery of the flexible diaphragm is formed of two parts so constructed and arranged that the inner periphery of the flexible diaphragm is disposed between such housing parts in stacked relation therewith and the housing parts are ultrasonically welded together to secure the inner periphery of the flexible diaphragm thereto. The drive member has a portion that will telescope with a portion of one of the housings in such a manner that the telescoping portions are snap-fitted together with the portions cooperating together to define a valve chamber therebetween whereby not only does the drive member provide the pumping motion to the pumping construction, but also the drive member cooperates with the pump construction to define a working part thereof.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved pneumatic pump construction having one or more of the novel features set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method for making a pump construction or the like, the method of this invention having one or more of the novel features set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from a reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the improved pump construction of this invention with the motor drive shaft means being turned out of the normal plane thereof to illustrate the method of driving the pump construction.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, exploded perspective view of the various parts for making the pump construction of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, exploded, cross-sectional view of various subassemblies of the pump construction of FIG. 1 made from the parts of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 1 and illustrates the pump construction in one of its operating positions.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and illustrates the pump construction in another of its operating positions.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the improved pneumatic pump construction of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and comprises a first housing 11 interconnected to a second housing 12 by a flexible diaphragm 13, a drive member 14 being secured to the housing 12 in a manner hereinafter described to move the housing 12 relative to the housing 11 when the housing 11 is held in a fixed position in a manner hereinafter described to provide a pumping action wherein fluid is adapted to be drawn into an inlet nipple construction 15 of the housing 11 and be expelled out through an outlet nipple construction 16 of the drive member 14 in a manner hereinafter described.

The drive member 14 has a free end 17 provided with an opening 18 passing therethrough and receiving suitable bearing means 19 which, in turn, is adapted to receive a shaft portion 20 eccentrically mounted to an output shaft 21 of a drive motor 22.

In this manner, when the motor 22 is energized to rotate the drive shaft 21 thereof about its axis of rotation 23, the shaft portion 20 mounted eccentrically thereto is driven in an orbiting path to cause the drive member 14 to oscillate toward and away from the fixed housing 11 and thereby provide a pumping action for the pump construction 10 to either create a vacuum source or a pressure source.

For example, should the inlet nipple construction 15 be interconnected to vacuum operated actuators or the like, the pumping action of the pump construction 10 will draw air from such vacuum operated actuators into the inlet 15 of the pump construction 10 and thereby evacuate the same whereby the pump construction 10 is operating as a vacuum pump. Conversely, should the outlet nipple construction 16 be interconnected to pressure operated actuators, the operation of the pump construction 10 will draw air into the inlet 15 and force the same out of the outlet 16 thereof whereby the action of the pump construction 10 will pressurize such pressure operated actuators and the pump construction 10 will be operating as a pressure source.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the flexible diaphragm 13 has an outer peripheral means 24 defining an inner annular groove 25 adapted to be snap-fit over an outer annular rib 26 of the housing 11 so as to secure the outer peripheral means 24 of the diaphragm to the housing 11. The inner peripheral means 27 of the flexible diaphragm 13 is defined by an opening 28 passing centrally therethrough, the inner peripheral means 27 of the flexible diaphragm 13 being adapted to be secured to the housing 12 in a manner now to be described.

The housing 12 comprises two housing parts 29 and 30, the housing part 29 having a disclikc structure 31 at the left hand side thereof and a cylindrical extension 32 extending concentrically therefrom to the right and of a size adapted to be press fitted through the opening 28 of the flexible diaphragm 13 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3 whereby the disc-like portion 31 of the housing part 29 is disposed against the left hand side of the inner peripheral means 27 of the flexible diaphragm 13.

The other housing part 30 has an aperture 33 interrupting the left end surface 34 thereof and defining an end surface 35 that closes the aperture 33 inboard of the left hand surface 34 thereof. In this manner the extension 32 of the housing part 29 not only is adapted to pass through the opening 28 of the diaphragm 13 in the manner illustrated in FlG. 3, but is also adapted to be received into the aperture 33 of the housing part 30 and have the end surface 36 thereof abut against the end surface 35 of the housing part 30 so that the inner peripheral means 27 of the flexible diaphragm 13 is disposed in stacked and compressed relation between the disc portion 31 of the housing part 29 and the left hand surface 34 of the housing part 30. With the diaphragm l3 and housing parts 29 and 30 disposed in the position illustrated in FIG. 3, the engaging end surfaces 35 and 36 of the housing parts 30 and 29 are ultrasonically welded together so as to secure not only the housing parts 29 and 30 together to form the housing 12, but also to secure the inner peripheral means 27 of the flexible diaphragm 13 to the housing 12 and form the subassembly as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The right hand side 37 of the housing part 30 is interrupted by an opening 38 that terminates short of the previously described end surface 35 to define another end surface 39 closing the opening 38 inboard of the end surface 37. In addition, an annular groove 40 interrupts not only the end surface 37 of the housing part 30, but also the outer peripheral surface 41 thereof whereby an O-ring 42 is adapted to be received in the groove 40 to project slightly beyond the endsurface 37 thereof as well as slightly outwardly from the annular peripheral surface 41 thereof for a sealing purpose hereinafter described.

An outwardly directed annular rib 43 is formed on the housing part 30 intermediate the end surfaces 34 and 37 thereof to provide a snap-fit means for the drive member 14 in a manner hereinafter described.

A pair of passages 44 and 45 are respectively formed in aligned relation through the housing parts 29 and 30 so that when the housing parts 29 and 30 are disposed in their assembled relation as illustrated in FIG. 3, the aligned passages 44 and 45 fluidly interconnect the left hand surface 46 of the housing part 29 to the opening 38 in the housing part 30 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The housing 11 is formed from two housing parts 47 and 48 respectively having facing surfaces 49 and 50 ultrasonically welded together in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3.

The housing part 47 has a first cylindrical bore or opening 51 interrupting the left hand surface 49 thereof and a smaller and concentric opening 52 interrupting the right hand surface 53 thereof whereby the openings 51 and 52 intersect to define an annular shoulder 54 therebetween. The housing part 48 when secured to the housing part 47 closes the opening 51 at the left thereof whereby a flexible valve disc 55 is adapted to be disposed in the opening 51 before the ultrasonic welding of the parts 47 and 48 together and be movable between the shoulder 54 and closing surface 50 of the housing part 48 for a purpose hereinafter described, the valve disc having a plurality of openings 56 passing therethrough in such a manner that when the valve disc 55 is disposed against the shoulder 54 as illustrated in FIG. 5, the openings 56 fluidly interconnect the opening 51 to the opening 52. However, when the valve member 55 is moved against the closing surface 50 of the housing part 48 as illustrated in FIG. 4, the openings 56 in the valve disc 55 are prevented from interconnecting the opening 51 to a passage 57 passing through the inlet nipple extension 15 of the housing part 48 and normally disposed in fluid communication with the opening 51 when the valve disc 55 is moved away from the closing end surface 50 in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5.

Therefore, it can be seen that the housing 11 can be formed as a subassembly as illustrated in FIG. 3 by the method of this invention previously described and that the housing 12 can be formed in the manner previously described to provide the subassembly of the housing 12 and interconnected flexible diaphragm 13 so that the outer peripheral means 24 of the diaphragm 13 can be snap-fitted over the annular rib 26 of the housing 11 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4 whereby the diaphragm 13 will interconnect the housings 11 and 12 together while defining a pumping chamber 58 therebetween which has its volume changed as movement is provided between the housings 11 and 12 as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The drive member 14 has its left hand end surface 58' interrupted by an opening 59 which defines an end surface 60 inboard of the left hand end 58' thereof, the end surface 60 being, in turn, interrupted by a smaller concentric opening 61 which defines another end surface 62 inboard of the first end surface 60 and is interrupted by a passage means 63 that passes through the outlet nipple construction 16 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3. An annular groove 64 is formed in the inner peripheral surface 65 of the drive member 14 that is defined by the opening 59. In addition, the left hand end surface 58 of the drive member 14 is beveled at 66 to facilitate the telescoping of the left hand end of the drive member 14 over the housing part 30 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein the annular groove 64 of the drive member 14 snap-fittingly receives the annular rib 43 of the housing 12 so that not only is the drive member 14 snap-fittingly secured to the housing 12 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4, but also the O-ring 42 seals the end surface 37 of the housing part 30 to the end surface 60 of the drive member 14 and seals the opening 38 of the housing part 30 to the internal peripheral surface 65 of the drive member 14 whereby the opening 38 is completely sealed from the exterior of the telescoping parts 30 and 14 except for the passage 63 leading through the outlet extension 16 and the aligned passage means 44 and 45 of the housing 12.

Prior to the snapfitting relation of the drive member 14 to the housing member 12, another flexible valve disc 67 is disposed in the opening 38 of the housing 12 and is formed in a manner similar to the valve disc 55 previously described whereby the valve disc 67 has a plurality of openings 68 passing therethrough in such a configuration that when the valve disc 67 is disposed against the end surface 60 of the drive member 14 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4, the opening 38 of the housing 12 is fluidly interconnected to the passage 63 since the openings 68 of the valve disc 67 are in fluid communication with the smaller opening 62 of the drive member 14. However, when the valve disc 67 is disposed against the end surface 39 of the housing part 30, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5, the passage means 44, 45 is fluidly sealed from the opening 38.

From the above, it can be seen that the various parts of the pump construction of this invention can be formed in a relatively simple and economical manner because the parts 48, 47, 29, 30 and 14 can be formed from plastic material molded into the configuration previously described and the two subassemblies of the housing members 11 and 12 can be respectively assembled by an ultrasonic welding operation so that the three subassembled parts illustrated in FIG. 3 can be snap-fitted together in the manner previously described to operate in a manner now to be described.

The housing part 48 that forms one of the main housings 11 can be so constructed and arranged that the same has a pair of outwardly directed opposed ears 69 and 70 respectively provided with openings 71 and 72 passing therethrough whereby the assembled pump construction 10 can be mounted by suitable fastening means passing through the openings 71 and 72 to fix the housing 11 from relative movement and the drive member 14 can be coupled to the shaft portion of the drive motor 22 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1

whereby when the motor 22 is energized to rotate its output shaft 21, the resulting reciprocating motion of the drive member 14 to the right and to the left in the drawings will cause the pump construction 10 to provide a pumping action now to be described.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, as the drive member 14 is moving to the left with the housing 11 being held in fixed position, any fluid in the pumping chamber 58 is being compressed and such compressed fluid in the chamber 58 moves the left hand valve member 55 to the left against the end surface 50 to seal the chamber 58 from the inlet passage 57. The pressure fluid in the chamber 58 also forces the right hand valve disc 67 to the right against the end surface 60 of the drive member 14 so that the chamber 58 is fluidly interconnected to the outlet passage 63 whereby the fluid in the chamber 58, which is having its volumetric capacity decreased, is forced out of the outlet passage 63. Conversely, when the drive member 14 is moving to the right relative to the stationary housing 11, the volumetric capacity of the chamber 58 is correspondingly increasing whereby the subatmospheric condition existing in the chamber 58 pulls the right hand valve member 55 to the right as illustrated in FIG. 5 against the end surface 54 so that the inlet passage 57 is placed into fluid communication with the chamber 58 and fluid can be drawn through the inlet passage 57 into the increasing chamber 58 for an intake stroke of the pump construction 10. During such intake stroke of the pump construction 10, the decreased pressure in the chamber 58 draws the right hand valve member 67 against the end surface 39 so as to disconnect the chamber 58 from the outlet passage 63.

Therefore, it can be seen that the reciprocating motion of the drive member 14 moves the housing 12 relative to the housing 11 to cause a pumping action in the manner previously described.

Accordingly, it can be seen that not only does this invention provide an improved pump construction that is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, but also this invention provides an improved method for making such a pump construction wherein the parts can be simply molded and require no machining or complicated fastening members and the like.

While the previous description and the following claims have set forth that the various parts of the subassemblies are ultrasonically welded together, it is to be understood that such parts can be sonically welded together if the material of the parts permits such welding. Therefore, the terms ultrasonically welded and the like are intended to encompass sonic welding or other vibrating welding operations as well as all equivalents thereof within the terms of the Patent Statute as permitted by the third paragraph of 35 USC 112.

What is claimed is:

l. A pneumatic pump construction comprising an inlet housing, an outlet housing, a flexible diaphragm having an outer peripheral means thereof interconnected to one of said housings and an inner peripheral means thereof interconnected to the other of said housings whereby said diaphragm interconnects said housings together to define a pumping chamber therebetween and to permit relative movement of said housings to change the volume of said chamber for a pumping action of said construction, said other housing comprising two parts having said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm stacked and compressed therebetween and being ultrasonically welded together to provide the sole means for securing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts of said other housing, said diaphragm having an opening therethrough which defines said inner peripheral means thereof, one of said parts of said other housing having an aperture therein aligned with said opening of said diaphragm, the other part of said other housing having an extension projecting through said opening of said diaphragm in press-fit relation therewith and being received in said aperture of said one part of said other housing, said extension of said other part of said other housing having a flat end surface, said one part of said other housing having a flat end surface closing said aperture thereof inboard of said one part, said flat end surfaces being in abutting relation to compress said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm between said two parts and being ultrasonically welded together to provide said sole means for securing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts, and a drive member snap-fitted to one of said housings to move said one housing relative to the other housing for a pumping action of said construction.

2. A pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein drive member has means for coupling to a drive shaft means.

3. A pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said one housing and said drive member respectively have portions telescoping with each other and provided with cooperating rib and groove means to snap-fit said telescoping portions together.

4. A pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive member and said one housing cooperate together to define a valve chamber for said pump construction.

5. A pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 4 wherein said drive member and said one housing respectively have portions telescoping with each other, said telescoping portions having aligned and facing openings therein defining said valve chamber.

6. A method for making a pneumatic pump construction comprising the steps of securing an inner peripheral means of a flexible diaphragm to one of an inlet housing and an outlet housing, securing the outer peripheral means of said flexible diaphragm to the other of said housings whereby said diaphragm interconnects said housings together to define a pumping chamber therebetween and permits relative movement of said housings to change the volume of said chamber for a pumping action of said construction, said step of interconnecting said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm to said one housing comprising the: steps of forming said one housing of two parts, disposing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts of said one housing, and ultrasonically welding said two parts together while said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm is compressed therebetween to provide the sole means securing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts of said one housing, said step ofinterconnecting said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm to said one housing further comprising the steps of providing an opening through said diaphragm that defines said inner peripheral means thereof, forming an aperture in one of said parts of said one housing that is adapted to be aligned with said opening of said diaphragm, forming an extension on the other part of said one housing, and projecting said extension through said opening of said diaphragm in a press-fit relation with said opening of said diaphragm and into said aperture of said one part of said one housing, said step of projecting said extension of said other part of said one housing through said opening of said diaphragm into said aperture of said one part of said one housing further comprising the step of abutting a flat end surface of said extension against a flat end surface of said one part of said one housing that closes said aperture thereof inboard of said one part to compress said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm between said two parts, said step of ultrasonically welding together said two parts of said one housing further comprising the step of ultrasonically welding together said flat end surfaces that are disposed in abutting relation to provide said sole means securing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts, and snap-fitting a drive member to one of said housings to move said one housing relative to the other housing for a pumping action of said construction.

7. A method for making a pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 6 and including the step of forming a coupling means on said drive member to permit the same to be coupled to a drive shaft means.

8. A method for maklng a pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 6 and further comprising the steps of forming portions on said one housing and said drive member, forming cooperating rib and groove means on said portions, and telescoping said portions with each other to snap-fit said telescoping portions together by said cooperating rib and groove means thereof.

9. A method for making a pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 6 and including the step of forming said drive member and said one housing to cooperate together in their snap-fit relation to define a valve chamber for said pump construction.

10. A method for making a pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 9 wherein said step of forming said drive member and said one housing to cooperate together to define a valve chamber comprises the steps of forming portions respectively on said drive member and said one housing adapted to telescope with each other, forming aligned and facing openings in said portions, and telescoping said portions together whereby the aligned and facing openings thereof define said valve chamber. 

1. A pneumatic pump construction comprising an inlet housing, an outlet housing, a flexible diaphragm having an outer peripheral means thereof interconnected to one of said housings and an inner peripheral means thereof interconnected to the other of said housings whereby said diaphragm interconnects said housings together to define a pumping chamber therebetween and to permit relative movement of said housings to change the volume of said chamber for a pumping action of said construction, said other housing comprising two parts having said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm stacked and compressed therebetween and being ultrasonically welded together to provide the sole meanS for securing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts of said other housing, said diaphragm having an opening therethrough which defines said inner peripheral means thereof, one of said parts of said other housing having an aperture therein aligned with said opening of said diaphragm, the other part of said other housing having an extension projecting through said opening of said diaphragm in press-fit relation therewith and being received in said aperture of said one part of said other housing, said extension of said other part of said other housing having a flat end surface, said one part of said other housing having a flat end surface closing said aperture thereof inboard of said one part, said flat end surfaces being in abutting relation to compress said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm between said two parts and being ultrasonically welded together to provide said sole means for securing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts, and a drive member snap-fitted to one of said housings to move said one housing relative to the other housing for a pumping action of said construction.
 2. A pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein drive member has means for coupling to a drive shaft means.
 3. A pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said one housing and said drive member respectively have portions telescoping with each other and provided with cooperating rib and groove means to snap-fit said telescoping portions together.
 4. A pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive member and said one housing cooperate together to define a valve chamber for said pump construction.
 5. A pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 4 wherein said drive member and said one housing respectively have portions telescoping with each other, said telescoping portions having aligned and facing openings therein defining said valve chamber.
 6. A method for making a pneumatic pump construction comprising the steps of securing an inner peripheral means of a flexible diaphragm to one of an inlet housing and an outlet housing, securing the outer peripheral means of said flexible diaphragm to the other of said housings whereby said diaphragm interconnects said housings together to define a pumping chamber therebetween and permits relative movement of said housings to change the volume of said chamber for a pumping action of said construction, said step of interconnecting said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm to said one housing comprising the steps of forming said one housing of two parts, disposing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts of said one housing, and ultrasonically welding said two parts together while said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm is compressed therebetween to provide the sole means securing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts of said one housing, said step of interconnecting said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm to said one housing further comprising the steps of providing an opening through said diaphragm that defines said inner peripheral means thereof, forming an aperture in one of said parts of said one housing that is adapted to be aligned with said opening of said diaphragm, forming an extension on the other part of said one housing, and projecting said extension through said opening of said diaphragm in a press-fit relation with said opening of said diaphragm and into said aperture of said one part of said one housing, said step of projecting said extension of said other part of said one housing through said opening of said diaphragm into said aperture of said one part of said one housing further comprising the step of abutting a flat end surface of said extension against a flat end surface of said one part of Said one housing that closes said aperture thereof inboard of said one part to compress said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm between said two parts, said step of ultrasonically welding together said two parts of said one housing further comprising the step of ultrasonically welding together said flat end surfaces that are disposed in abutting relation to provide said sole means securing said inner peripheral means of said diaphragm in stacked and compressed relation between said two parts, and snap-fitting a drive member to one of said housings to move said one housing relative to the other housing for a pumping action of said construction.
 7. A method for making a pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 6 and including the step of forming a coupling means on said drive member to permit the same to be coupled to a drive shaft means.
 8. A method for making a pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 6 and further comprising the steps of forming portions on said one housing and said drive member, forming cooperating rib and groove means on said portions, and telescoping said portions with each other to snap-fit said telescoping portions together by said cooperating rib and groove means thereof.
 9. A method for making a pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 6 and including the step of forming said drive member and said one housing to cooperate together in their snap-fit relation to define a valve chamber for said pump construction.
 10. A method for making a pneumatic pump construction as set forth in claim 9 wherein said step of forming said drive member and said one housing to cooperate together to define a valve chamber comprises the steps of forming portions respectively on said drive member and said one housing adapted to telescope with each other, forming aligned and facing openings in said portions, and telescoping said portions together whereby the aligned and facing openings thereof define said valve chamber. 